Turkey Swamp Park

Turkey Swamp Park At A Glance...

• The park is named for things that are not there any more. Turkey was the old name for Adelphia, and Swamp is for the sphagnum bogs that form wherever the ground dips.
• This is the northern end of the Pine Barrens. You get pitch pine, bracken fern, blueberry and catbriar here rather than the hardwood forest most of Monmouth County has.
• The Fitness Trail is a 1.0 mile loop along the field edge with 20 exercise stations on it.
• The 17 acre lake opens for ice skating when the safe-skating signs go up. There is a phone line for ice conditions: 732-842-4000 ext. 3.
• The archery range is open year round during park hours. Bring your own bow and paper targets; the range supplies the excelsior bales.
• At more than 2,300 acres this is the largest single property in the Monmouth County Park System.
• Todays Sunrise: 6:48 am,   Sunset: 6:47 pm  
• New Jersey Shore Region Monmouth County

• Activities:

  • Equestrian / Horseback
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
    More like Walking
  • Hunting
    Seasonal only
  • Jogging / Running
  • Mountain Bike
  • Paddling - Kayak, Canoe, row boat
    Paddling in the lake. Rentals available.
  • Playing in the playground
  • Picnicking
  • Walking

  Amenities:

  • Sports / Athletic Fields
  • Volleyball Courts
  • Restrooms/Bathrooms
  • Boat launch
  • Parking Lot(s)
  • Boat launch - Car Top Only
  • Picnic / Sitting Area
  • Grills / Firering
  • Picnic shelter(s)
  • Picnic tables
  • Playground
  • Shooting range
    Archery

  Shop/Services/Rentals:

  • Kayak / Canoe / Rowboat Rentals

  Trails:

  • Fitness Trail
  • Flat / Easy
  • Walking Paths

  Park Type:

  • County Parks
  • Park (General)
  • Playground
  • Scenic Areas (overlooks/waterfalls)

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Alcohol Not Permitted
  • Must be Leashed
  • Special Hunting Permit Required
  • Swimming Not Permitted

Contact / Location

A Brief History

The name is older than the park. Turkey was the historical name for Adelphia, the settlement just to the east, and Swamp describes what the land does: the forest sits on a high water table, so sphagnum bogs form wherever the ground dips.

Monmouth County bought the core of the park, the lake, the picnic areas and the campgrounds, in 1963, and developed it with campers in mind. Adjacent parcels added over the following fifty years brought it to its present shape and made it the largest property in the Park System.

Trail & Path Info

Multi-use and fitness trails traverse the park, which sits at the northern end of the NJ Pine Barrens. The terrain is relatively level and the 17 acre lake adds scenic interest. Roughly nine miles of marked trail run through fields, forest and wetland. The county rates its trails Easy, Moderate and Challenging, and states that nothing at Turkey Swamp is Challenging. Cyclists yield to everyone else, and walkers yield to horses.

The trails

Alder Trail is a 1.6 mile loop around the lake with access to the bogs and swamps. Old Lenape Trail is a 1.2 mile loop through pineland forest. The Fitness Trail is a 1.0 mile loop along the field edge with 20 exercise stations. Link Trail is a 0.7 mile connector between the north and south halves of the park. Metedeconk Trail runs 1.0 mile across the Metedeconk River to Nomoco, and Blueberry Path is a 1.0 mile loop around the southern end of Nomoco with no marked trailhead. The longest is Manasquan Trail, 2.5 miles into the forest along the Manasquan River.

Recommended Loop

You can put together a nice long walk within Turkey Swamp. Consider starting out at the main parking lot/shelter, and heading north onto the Manasquan Trail (blue). Follow this out and back to the green trail, around the campground, and eventually out to the Metedeconk Trail. Follow this out all the way to Nomoco, find/follow the outer loop, and come back to the main park area. Finish up by walking around the lake on the green trail, back to the main parking lot/pavilion.

Because of the swamps and bogs, wet and muddy sections are normal here rather than exceptional. Take a trail map with you.

Things to See & Do

Fishing is the main draw. The lake holds bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill, and you can fish from shore or from a boat. Anyone aged 16 to 69 needs a New Jersey freshwater fishing license. Nightcrawlers and garden worms are sold in the campground office from April through November.

Boat rentals cover rowboats, canoes, single and double kayaks and paddleboats. Weekends only from May 1 to Fathers Day, daily from Fathers Day through Labor Day, then weekends again until Columbus Day. Rental hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends, and cash, check and credit cards are all taken.

The archery range is open year round during park hours. It is a stand-up range with shooting stations set from 15 to 40 yards, backed by excelsior bales. Bring your own equipment and paper targets. Anyone under 18 must be supervised by someone aged 21 or older, and the county archery rules cap a session at 30 minutes when other archers are waiting, and bar pets and horses from the range. The Park System also runs archery clinics, including an introduction to archery for organized groups.

Sandy Run has sand volleyball courts and horseshoe pits next to its picnic shelter and playground, and the Nomoco group area has basketball and grass volleyball courts. Two soccer fields can be rented for games. In winter the lake opens for skating when the safe-skating signs go up; call 732-842-4000 ext. 3 for ice conditions.

Tips and Tricks

Ticks are active here year round, with the highest risk between April and July. Walk the center of the trail, keep out of tall grass and leaf litter, and check yourself and the dog when you get back.

Much of the park is bog, so the trails hold water. Boots beat sneakers after rain.

Picnics / Lunches / Eating

Picnic Areas

Located near the main pavilion, you will find many picnic tables and grills. These are first come first served. The Deer Trail Area also has picnic tables, with no shelter, free and first come first served.

Reservable Group Picnic Areas

Turkey Swamp Park features reservable group picnic areas and is a great spot to host a family reunion, an office get together or a bunch of friends. Oak Point has a 30 by 50 foot shelter with a group grill for up to 75 people, or 150 with the adjacent picnic area added. Sandy Run has a larger 40 by 60 foot shelter with a group grill, a sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, a playground and accessible restrooms, and takes up to 250. Both shelters are ADA accessible.

The Shelter Building has a kitchen, seats 75 and is ADA accessible. It can be booked on evenings from March 15 to December 15.

Any group of 50 or more has to register with the Park System at least seven days ahead. Call 732-842-4000 ext. 1 to reserve an area.

Admission & Guidelines

There is no entrance fee. What costs money is what you book: campsites, group camping areas, picnic pavilions, the Shelter Building and boat rentals.

Under the fee schedule adopted for 2026, an hour in a rowboat, canoe, paddleboat or single kayak is $15.94 and a double kayak is $21.57, plus sales tax and a $10 refundable deposit. Picnic pavilion rental starts at $150 for a weekday at Oak Point. Camping fees are on the campground record.

Anyone aged 16 to 69 fishing the lake needs a New Jersey freshwater fishing license.

Hours / Season of Operation

The park opens at 7 a.m. every day of the year and closes at dusk. The county posts the exact closing time and moves it through the year. The autumn 2026 schedule is 8:30 p.m. through September 13, 8 p.m. from September 14 to October 4, and 7:30 p.m. from October 5 to 31. Check the county page before planning a late finish.

Boat rentals run weekends from May 1, daily from Fathers Day to Labor Day, then weekends again to Columbus Day. The Shelter Building can be booked on evenings between March 15 and December 15. The campground season is on the campground record.

Facilities

Archery range, open year round during park hours. Two soccer fields available for rental. Boat rentals in season. Four playgrounds, restrooms, vending machines, picnic tables and shelters at the main areas, with ADA accessible shelters at Oak Point and Sandy Run and accessible restrooms at Sandy Run.

There is a family campground and a group camping area on Nomoco Road. Both are covered on the Turkey Swamp Park Campground record.

Directions

From the New Jersey Turnpike, take Exit 7A to I-195 east and follow it to Exit 22. Turn left onto Jackson Mills Road north, follow it to Georgia Road, turn left and go 1.7 miles to the main entrance.

From the Garden State Parkway, take Exit 98 to I-195 west and follow it to Exit 22. Turn right onto Jackson Mills Road north, follow it to Georgia Road, turn left and go 1.7 miles.

From Route 9, take Route 524 west to Georgia Road, turn left and follow Georgia Road 1.7 miles to the main entrance.

The Nomoco Road group campground is 1.5 miles past the main entrance at 143 Nomoco Road. Continue south on Georgia Road to Nomoco Road, turn right and follow the signs to the Activity Area.